WHY ONE PIECE IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC MASTERPIECE
(A little something I prepared a while ago. I'm not that fast at typing XD)
So recently, I got into One Piece. And it’s really good! Thanks to that show, Netflix makes half of its profit solely on me. I’m someone who enjoys anime, but for some weird reason I’ve always avoided watching shonen anime. So it’s pretty ironic that one of my favorite shows is literally a Shonen anime powerhouse. That’s like the equivalent of saying you don’t like chocolate but then you end up eating an entire chocolate cake. By yourself. For breakfast. In your sad lonely house. Not that I would know…
Before I begin, I’d like to say that all of this is based purely on my own personal opinion. So therefore it's a fact. Let’s begin:
So for some of you rock dwellers, you may not know what One Piece is about so I’ll provide a simplified description: It tells the story of Elastic Girl wannabe Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of finding the One Piece, a special treasure that awards anyone who finds it the title of King of the Pirates. Luffy also has the ability to stretch his limbs out at humanly impossible distances due to eating the magical Devil Fruit. He -along with his rag-tag group friends- must adventure to the dangerous Grand Line in order to find the One Piece. Heh, get it? That’s the name of the show…
So why do I like this show? Well for a number of reasons but I’ll only discuss the main three: Characters, Animation, World-Building
One Piece has a lot of weird and wonderful characters. There’s of course the joking and funny Luffy (who literally smiles all the time…like damn boy…you alright?). There’s Nami, a liar who looks like a cinnamon roll but could probably kill you (everything you’d want in a woman ;)). There’s Daddy-I mean-Daddy- I mean…Zoro, the pirate bounty hunter (He’s hot). There’s Usopp…yeah. And then there’s my favorite character, Sanji! (I cried for his backstory. If you know, you know). These characters are all fun and memorable in their own ways and that’s mainly because of how well-written they are and their interesting backstories. I really don’t know how else to describe it. You laugh with them. You cry with them. You wonder about why they’re so hot…
YOU KNOW WHAT?! I’m annoyed with how HOT these characters are! They aren’t supposed to be this hot! Zoro could be a secret supermodel, Nami is a certified heartbreaker and Sanji is quite the looker even with those whack eyebrows!
And even though I hate Arlong for what he did to Nami and her family, he’s bound to be someone’s deep dark awakening
He’s a fish man. A FREAKIN FISH MAN!!!!!
I didn’t know the Shape of Water had its own anime adaptation!
I’m going off topic, now into animation. Y’know, for a show over two decades old, it’s actually really good. It might be because it’s a relic of its time, but the animation almost has this nostalgic feel to it even if you’ve never seen it before. Sure it doesn't have any Sailor Moon transformations or Studio Ghibli's attention to detail, but it’s simple. And sometimes simplicity is simplicity…
Last but not least, there’s the world building. I like it. I’d even go as far to say that it’s better than Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yeah that’s right boo me on, I said it! The characters visit these interesting settings home to so many interesting people and I absolutely love its unique take on the concept of pirates especially compared to other popular pirate franchises like The Pirates of the Caribbean. Each place is fun and memorable in its own way. It truly is an embodiment on why the journey is more important than the destination
Before I wrap this post up, I would like to address the elephant in the room. Yes, I know One Piece isn’t revolutionary when it comes to the designs of the female characters. All of the important female characters usually have the exact same appearance: doe eyes, big watermelons and a teeny tiny waist. It’s not exactly ideal, but this show is old and bound to be outdated in some shape or form. And I’ve talked to people who’ve become actively turned off from watching the show because of this, which is a real shame. The female characters, in my opinion, are just as well-written as the male characters. Even minor or side characters like Vivi and Kuina are amazing in their own regard and are still fondly remembered to this day.
That’s the end of my ramble. Hey, you made it to the end. Thank you for reading and who knows? Maybe I’ll do something like this again. I can’t recommend this show enough! But if you do check it out, just note that it can get a little violent. And that’s why I believe One Piece is an unapologetic masterpiece…now look at these funny memes!
